I”m kind of a pop culture sponge, so of course I found myself watching the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday night.
Overall, the show was quite enjoyable, though familiar in that way that all awards shows are formulaic. There were numerous moments from Sunday”s Emmys that stand out in my mind: the way the women nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy Series lined up on stage beauty pageant-style was brilliant, much like the performance from The Lonely Island was bizarrely hilarious.
One particularly great moment was when Steven Levitan, the co-creator of “Modern Family,” accepted the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
Levitan, along with Jeffrey Richman, won for the episode “Caught in the Act,” in which the three Dunphy children walk in on parents Phil and Claire “gettin” busy.” Levitan said that was based on real events in his own life.
The camera cut to Levitan”s wife, who promptly shot the camera a look that seemed to say, “Oh, brother,” which caused the entire audience, including herself, to erupt with laughter. I was in stitches.
But I will say I was disappointed in that two of my favorite actor/comedians, who are the darlings of many TV critics, walked away with nothing.
I”ve been a fan of Steve Carell since first seeing him steal scenes in the movies “Bruce Almighty” and “Anchorman.” For the past year, I”ve been catching up on “The Office,” in which Carell played Michael Scott, the manic boss with a heart of gold. Carell recently retired from the show after seven seasons, including a very emotional last one where he finally got the woman of his dreams.
Carell won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of frenetic-yet-lovable Scott but never won an Emmy, despite five nominations. It”s a familiar scenario in Emmy history.
Comedian Louis C.K. had a slow-moving career before hitting the spotlight in the late 2000s with a few landmark stand-up specials. His brand of awkward humor was shared across the Internet, fueling his stardom. Since then, he created a few TV series that dared to challenge the status quo.
His latest, “Louie,” is perhaps the most brilliant show I”ve ever seen. Airing on FX, C.K. is the star, editor, director and producer.
The show consists of short vignettes documenting his semi-fictional New York City life with two young daughters after a divorce. Because it”s C.K., the show is incredibly awkward, which is where most of the humor comes from. But it is also endearing, emotional and, for lack of a better term, incredibly real.
The show feels like a slice out of everyday life, with its ups, downs, odd situations and little moments that touch your heart.
C.K. was nominated for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing. Both awards were lost to comedy juggernauts on the major TV networks. Awards shows are notorious for picking favorites and continually recognizing them for many years.
I hope C.K. receives recognition for his exceptional show, as it”s too late for Carell. After all, I like rooting for the underdog.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14.
